Week 1 -> The Conquest of Britain (Romans, Saxons, Angles and Jutes)

Question 1

“The people, unwarlike but untrustworthy, were not subdued, like other races, by the sword, fire and engines of war, so much as by mere threats and legal penalties. Their obedience to the edicts of Rome was superficial: their resentment they kept repressed, deep in their hearts.”

Answer 1

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain (On arrival of the Romans)

Question 2

“The British offered their backs instead of shields to their pursuers, their necks to the sword. A cold shudder ran through their bones; like women they stretched out their hands for the fetters. In fact, it became a mocking proverb far and wide that the British are cowardly in war and faithless in peace.”

Answer 2

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain (On the aftermath of Boudicca’s revolt)

Question 3

“Should history tell of good men and their good estate, the thoughtful listener is spurred on to imitate the good; should it record the evil ends of wicked men, no less effectually the devout and earnest listener or reader is kindled to eschew what is harmful and perverse, and himself with greater care pursue those things which he has learned to be good and pleasing in the sight of God”

Answer 3

Bede, The Ecclesiastic History of the English People (in the Topos, or introduction, wherein he describes the use of history.

Question 4

This year the Goths sacked the city of Rome; and never since have the Romans reigned in Britain. This was about eleven hundred and ten winters after it was built. They reigned altogether in Britain four hundred and seventy winters since Gaius Julius first sought that land.

Answer 4

ASC, Anonymous (5th century)

Question 5

From Anglia, which has ever since remained waste between the Jutes and the Saxons, came the East Angles, the Middle Angles, the Mercians, and all of those north of the Humber. Their leaders were two brothers, Hengest and Horsa; who were the sons of Wihtgils; Wihtgils was the son of Witta, Witta of Wecta, Wecta of Woden. From this Woden arose all our royal kindred, and that of the Southumbrians also.

Answer 5

ASC, anonymous (5th century)

Question 6

In this letter I shall deplore rather than denounce; my style may be worthless, but my intentions are kindly. What I have to deplore with mournful complaint is a general loss of good, a heaping up of bad. But no one should think that anything I say is said out of scorn for humanity or from a conviction that I am superior to all men. No, I sympathise with my country’s difficulties and troubles, and rejoice in remedies to relieve them.

Answer 6

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain

Question 7

I gazed on these things and many others in the Old Testament as though on a mirror reflecting our own life; then I turned to the New Testament also, and read there more clearly what had previously, perhaps, been dark to me: the shadow passed away,

8 and the truth shone forth more boldly. I read, I say, that the Lord said:‘I have not come except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And on the other hand: ‘But the sons of this kingdom shall be cast forth into outer darkness, and there will be wailing there, and gnashing of teeth.

Answer 7

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain

Question 8

What, you wretch (I say to myself), have you, like some im¬ portant and eminent teacher, been given the task of standing up against the blows of so violent a torrent, against the rope of congenital sins that has been stretched far and wide for so many years together?

Answer 8

Gildas, on the ruin of britain

Question 9

But before I make good my promise, I shall try, God willing, to say a little about the situation of Britain; about her obstinacy, subjection, and rebellion, her second subjection and harsh servitude; about religion, persecution, the holy martyrs, diverse heresies, tyrants, two plundering races; about defence and a further devastation, about a second vengeance and a third devastation; about hunger, about the letter to A

Answer 9

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain

Question 10

Ever since it was first inhabited, Britain has been ungratefully rebelling, stiff-necked and haughty, now against God, now against its own countrymen, sometimes even against kings from abroad and their subjects.

Answer 10

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain

Question 11

I shall not speak of the ancient errors, common to all races,

that bound the whole of humanity fast before the coming of Christ in the flesh . I shall not enumerate the devilish monstrosities of my land, numerous almost as those that plagued Egypt, some of which we can see today, stark as ever, inside or outside deserted city walls:

3 outlines still ugly, faces still grim. I

Answer 11

Gildas, on the ruin of britain

Question 12

The Roman kings, having won the rule of the world and subjugated all the neighbouring regions and islands towards the east, were able, th

Answer 12

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain

Question 13

Meanwhile, to an island numb with chill ice and far removed, as in a remote nook of the world, from the visible sun, Christ made a present of his rays (that is, his precepts), Christ the true sun, which shows its dazzling brilliance to the entire earth, not from the temporal firmament merely, but from the highest citadel of heaven, that goes beyond all time. This happened first, as

we know, in the last years of the emperor Tiberius,

Answer 13

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain.

Question 14

What are some characteristic terms found in Gildas that might identify him?

Answer 14

Discussing Alban
Negative opinion of the Britons
First person, especially “us, we” etc
Discussing Romans and their relationship to Britain in paternalistic terms
Romans like Ambrosius Aurelianus lauded

Question 15

At length the tyrant thickets increased and were all but bursting into a savage forest. The island was still Roman in name, but not by law and custom. Rather, it cast forth a sprig of its own bitter planting, and sent Maximus to Gaul with a great retinue

of hangers-on and even the imperial insignia, which he was never fit to bear: he had no legal claim to the title, but was raised to

2 it like a tyrant by rebellious soldiery.

Answer 15

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain

Question 16

to Rome, plaintively requesting a military force to protect them and vowing whole-hearted and uninterrupted loyalty to the Roman empire so long as their

2 enemies were kept at a distance. A legion was soon despatched that had forgotten the troubles of the past.

Answer 16

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain

Question 17

The legion returned home triumphant and joyful. Meanwhile the old enemies re-appeared, like greedy wolves, rabid with extreme hunger, who, dry-mouthed, leap over into the sheepfold when the shepherd is away. They came relying on their oars

as wings, on the arms of their oarsmen, and on the winds swelling their sails. They broke through the frontiers, spreading destruction everywhere. They went trampling over everything that stood in their path, cutting it down like ripe corn.

Answer 17

Gildas, On the Ruin of Britain

Question 18

from the Romans. Like frightened chicks huddling under the wings of their faithful parents, they prayed that their wretched country should not be utterly wiped out, that the name

Answer 18

Gildas, on the ruin of britain

Question 19

As the Romans went back home, there eagerly emerged from the coracles that had carried them across the sea-valleys the foul hordes of Scots and Piets, like dark throngs of worms who wriggle out of narrow fisssures in the rock when the sun is high and the weather grows warm. They were to some extent different in their customs, but they were in perfect accord in their greed for bloodshed: and they were readier to cover their villainous faces with hair than their private parts and neighbouring regions with clothes.

Answer 19

Gildas, Hell Yeah. (on the ruin of britain)

Question 20

“…fell scattered about the Arabian deserts, a prey to beasts, the sword and fire (though they had been very dear to God; their smooth-spread way was the gravel in the depths of the Red Sea, their food bread from heaven, their drink a new traveler from within the rock, their unconquered battle-line the mere raising of hands).”

Answer 20

Gildas, OTROB

Question 21

“Like foolish beasts of burden, they held fast to the bit of reason with (as people say) clenched teeth. They left the path that is narrow yet leads to salvation, and went racing down the wide way that takes one steeply down through various vices to death.”

Answer 21

Gildas, OTROB

Question 22

“keels as they call warships in their language…” (commentary on foreign tongues, is the word (italicized by him) meant to sound cruel or byzantine?

Characterizes their leadr (Saxons) as the “mother lioness” and her warriors her “cubs” (beastly, but also perhaps noble/respectful?)

Answer 22

Gildas (paraphrased and quoted), OTROB

Question 23

Assault was comparable “with that of the Assyrians of old on Judaea”

“God, the heathen have come into your inheritance; they have desecrated your holy temple”

Answer 23

Gildas (paraphrased and quoted), OTROB

Question 24

“From then on victory went to our countrymen, now to their enemies: so that in this people the Lord could make trial (as he tends to) of his latter-day Israel to see whether it loves him or not.”

Answer 24

Gildas (on Badon Hill Victory) OTROB

Question 25

Be it known to your charity, that being dull in intellect and rude of speech, I have presumed to deliver these things in the Latin tongue, not trusting to mj own learning, which is little or none at all, but partly from traditions of our ancestors, partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annab of the Romans, and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, HieroDymus, Prosper, Eusebius, and from the histories c^ the Scots and Saxons, although our enemies, not following my own inclinations, but, to the best of my ability, obeying the commands of my seniors ;

Answer 25

Nennius, History OF THE Britons

Question 26

I have lispingly put together this history from various sources, and have endeavoured, &om shame, to deliver down to posterity the few remaining ears of com about past transactions, that they might not be trodden under foot, seeing that an ample crop has been snatched away alr^dy by the hostile reapers of foreign nations

Answer 26

Nennius, History OF THE Britons

Question 27

“Many teachers and scribes have attempted to write this, but somehow or other have abandoned it from its difficulty, either on account of frequent deaths, or the often recurring calamities of war.”

Answer 27

Nennius, History of the Britons

Question 28

• cots (first time a separate race?) -> arrive in Ireland -> from Spain (?) -> Myth of Partholomus and his thousand followers
• After him comes “three sons of a Spanish soldier with thirty ships/wives” -> sailed for a year and encountr a “tower of glass, the summit of which seemed covered with men.”

Answer 28

Nennius, History of the Britons

Question 29

Saint Patrick…
- Was a captive of the Scots

• “By the permission of God he arrived in Ireland…”
• “cleansed the lepers, gave hearing to the deaf…” -> implies these illnesses are part of heathen darkness.
• Likens him to Moses (was spoken to in the burning bush., fasted forty days and forty nights, etc)
• Notably not really a “converting the heathens” narrative here ->

Answer 29

Nennius, History OF THE BritONS

Question 30

What are some characteristic traits of Nennius in History Of The Britons?

Answer 30

Weaving in of mythical fact -> Biblical stories taken for verbatim truth (Scots descended from the surviving Egyptians of the Red Sea, Britons claiming descent from the Romans and Greeks, Flood Myth)
More detached tone than Gildas and Bede.
Descriptions of LANDSCAPE and other details like this

Question 31

From Adam to the flood, are two thousand and forty-two years. From the flood to Abraham, nine hundred and forty-two. From Abraham to Moses, six hundred.* From Moses to Solomon, and the first buUding of the temple, four hundred and forty-eight. From Solomon to the rebuilding of the temple, which was imder Darius, king of the Persians, six hundred and twelve years are computed. From Darius to the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, are five hundred and forty-eight years

Answer 31

Nennius, History of the Britons

Question 32

It is fertilized by sevwal rivers, which traverse it in all directions, to the east and west, to the south and north ; but there are two pre-eminently distinguished among the rest, the Thames and the Severn, which formerly, like the two arms of Britain, bore the ships employed in the conveyance of the riches acquired by commerce. The Britons were once very populous, and exercised extensive dominion from sea to sea

Answer 32

Nennius, History of the Britons

Question 33

The Britons who, suspecting no hostilities, were unprovided with the means of defence, were unanimously and incessantly attacked, both by the Scots from the west, and by the Picts from the north. A long interval after this, the Bomans obtained the empire of ihe world.

Answer 33

Nennius, History of the Britons

Question 34

18. The Britons were thus called from Brutus : Brutus was the son of Hisicion, Hisicion was the son of Alanus, Alanus was the son of Rhea Silvia, Rhea Silvia was the daughter of Numa Pompilius, Numa was the son of Ascanius, Ascanius of Eneas, Eneas of Anchises, Anchises of Troius, Troius of Dardanus, Dardanus of Flisa, Flisa…

Answer 34

Nennius (this isn’t even HALF the sentence lmao) HOTB

Question 35

But after tbree years be again appeared witb a large army, and tbree bundred sbips, at tbe moutb of tbe Tbames, wbere be renewed bostilitie

Answer 35

Nennius, HOTB

Question 36

We must now return to the tyrant Maximus. Gratian, with his l»t)ther Yalentinian, reigned seven years. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, was then eminent for his skill in the dogmata of the Catholics. Yalentinianus and Theodosius reigned eight years

Answer 36

Nennius HOTB

Question 37

The man above-mentioned, however, remained with them. ^^ Take care,” said St. Germanus to him,

Answer 37

Nennius, HOTB

Question 38

In consequence of this reply, the king sent messmgers throughout Britain, in search of a child bom without a father. AAer having inquired in all the provinces, l^ey came to the field of iElecti,* in the district of GlevesiD^t where a party of boys were playing at balL And two of them quarrelting, one said to the other, ^ O boy without a father, no good will ever happen to you.”

Answer 38

Nennius HOTB

Question 39

i^ your blood, without which I sfaaU be unable to build it” ‘’ Who,” said the boy, ‘’ instructed you to do this ? “ ‘’ My wise men,” answered the king. ‘^ Order them hither,” returned the boy ; this being complied witlv he thus questioned than : “ By what means was it revealed to you that this citadel could not be built, unless the spot were previously sprinkled with my blood ? Speak without disguise, and declare who discovered me to you ;” then turning to the king, ‘’ I will soon,” said he, “unfold to you every thing; but I desire to question your wise men, and wish them to disclose to

Answer 39

Nennius, HOTB

Question 40

command, there was found in then a folded tent The boy, going on with his questions, asked the wise men what was in it? But they not knowing what to reply, “There are,” said he, “two serpents, one white and the other red; unfold the tent ;” they obeyed, and two deeping serpents were discovered; “consider attentively,” said the boy, “what they are doing.” The serpents began to struggle with each other ; and the wliite one, raising himself up, threw down the other into the middle of the teait, and sometimes drove him to the edge of it ; and this was repeated thrice. At length the red one, apparently the weaker of the two, recovering his strengta, expelled the white <me £rom the tent; and the latter being pursued through the pool by the red one, disappeared. Then the boy, asking the wise men what was signified by this wonderful omen, and they expressing thdr ignorance, he said to the king, “ I will now unfold to you the meaning of this mystery. The pool is the emblem oi this world, and the tent that of your kingdom : the two serpents are two dragons ; the red serpent is your dragon, but the white serpent is the dragon of the people who occupy several provinces and districts of Britain, even almost from sea to sea: at length, however, our peo|de shall rise and drive away the Saxon race from beyond the sea, whence they originally came ; but do y

Answer 40

Nennius, HOTB

Question 41

Saint Patrick resembled Mdles in four particulars. The angel spoke to him in the burning bush. He fasted forty days and forty nights upon the mountain. He attained the period of one hundred and twenty years. No one knows his sepulchre, nor where he was buried; sixteen § years he was in captivity. In his twenty-fifth year, he was consecxated bishop by Saint Matheus, | and he was eighty-five years the apostle of the Irish.

Answer 41

Nennius, HOTB

Question 42

• Topic of research was “all that the disciples of St. Gregory had done in the kingdom of Kent or [nearby]/”
• Physically brought records from the Roman Church archives in Rome back with him (or sent an envoy at least)
• Obtained his material “from here, from there, chiefly from the writings of earlier writers (doesn’t specify) and then Albinus’ contributions for St. Gregory section

Answer 42

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 43

• omans came a second time…)
• Same language “the enemy,” etc.
• Describes natural resources of Britain (once called Albion apparently) -> treates it very much like a survey of a land where man can cultivate (not much mention of wilderness, mentions “jet” (likely coal) which when lit can drive away serpents

Answer 43

Bede, The Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 44

• sheltered a cleric during the persecution by “INFIDEL” rulers.
• Ah, so the cleric teaches him the ways of the divine and converts him. The “light of the divine” shines of Alban who “for[sakes] the darkness of idolatry”
• Refers to (Roman?) alters / shrines as “the devils” or “of the devils.”
• Long account of Alban’s execution -> essentially hagiographical

Answer 44

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 45

Furthermore I humbly beseech all who either read this history of our nation or hear it read, that they will not forget frequently to ask for God’s mercy upon my weaknesses both of mind and body; and that in their various kingdoms they will repay me with good measure.

Answer 45

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 46

Britain,* once called Albion, is an island of the ocean and lies to the north-west, being opposite Germany, Gaul, and Spain, which form the greater part of Europe, though at a considerable distance from them. It extends 800 miles to the north, and is 200 miles broad, save only where several promontories stretch out further and, counting these, the whole circuit of the coastline covers 4,875 miles.*

Answer 46

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 47

islands. The island is rich in crops and in trees, and has good pasturage for cattle and beasts of burden. It also produces vines in certain districts, and has plenty of both land- and waterfowl of various kinds. It is remarkable too for its rivers, which abound in fish, particularly salmon and eels, and for copious springs. Seals as well as dolphins are frequently captured and even whales; besides these there are various kinds of shellfish

Answer 47

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 48

At the present time, there are five languages* in Britain, just as the divine law is written in five books, all devoted to seeking out and setting forth one and the same kind of wisdom, namely the knowledge of sublime truth and of true sublimity. These are the English, British, Irish, Pictish, as well as the Latin languages;

Answer 48

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 49

were lost and the rest were only repaired with great difficulty. At the first encounter Caesar’s cavalry were defeated by the Britons and there the tribune Labienus was killed. In the second battle, though his men incurred heavy risks, he conquered the Britons and put them to flight. Thence he marched to the river Thames. An immense multi

Answer 49

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 50

When infidel rulers were issuing violent edicts against the Christians, Alban,* though still a heathen at the time, gave hospitality to a certain cleric who was fleeing from his persecutors. When Alban saw this man occupied day and night in continual vigils and prayers, divine grace suddenly shone upon him and he learned to imitate his guest’s faith and devotion. Instructed little by little by his teaching about salvation, Alban forsook the darkness of idolatry and became a wholehearted Christian.

Answer 50

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 51

When the storm* of persecution had ceased, the faithful Christians who in the time of danger had hidden themselves in woods and deserts and secret caverns came out of hiding. They rebuilt the churches which had been razed to the ground; they endowed and built shrines to the holy martyrs.

Answer 51

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 52

From that time* Britain, or the British part of it, which had been stripped of all its armed men, its military supplies, and the whole flower of its active youth, who by the rashness of the dictators, had been led away never to return, lay wholly exposed to plunderers and the more so because the people were utterly ignorant of the practice of warfare.

Answer 52

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 53

But as soon as their former foes saw the Roman soldiers depart, they took ship and broke into their borders, felling, trampling, and treading down everything they met, like reapers mowing ripe com.

Answer 53

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 54

After the Romans had gone back to their own land, the Irish and Piets, who knew they were not to return, immediately came back themselves and, becoming bolder than ever, captured the whole of the northern and farthest portion of the island as far as the wall, driving out the natives. There the Britons deployed their dispirited ranks along the top of the defence and, day and night, they moped with dazed and trembling hearts. On the other hand the enemy with hooked weapons* never ceased from their ravages. The cowardly defenders were wretchedly dragged from the walls and dashed to the ground.

Answer 54

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 55

When the army* of the enemy had exterminated or scattered the native peoples, they returned home and the Britons slowly began to recover strength and courage. They emerged from their hiding-places and with one accord they prayed for the help of God that they might not be completely annihilated. Their leader at that time was a certain Ambrosius Aurelianus,*

Answer 55

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 56

The fierce enemy forces approached, plainly visible as they drew near to the army which was lying in ambush. Germanus who was bearing the standard, thereupon ordered his men to repeat his call in one great shout; as the enemy approached confidently, believing that their coming was unexpected, the bishops shouted ‘Alleluia* three times. A universal shout of ‘Alleluia’ followed, and the echoes from the surrounding hills multiplied and increased the sound.

Answer 56

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 57

When Augustine your prior returns, now, by our appointment, your abbot, humbly obey him in all things, knowing that whatever you do under his direction will be in all respects profitable to your souls.

Answer 57

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 58

So Augustine, strengthened by the encouragement of St Gregory, in company with the servants of Christ, returned to the work of preaching the word, and came to Britain. At that time Æthelberht,* king of Kent, was a very powerful monarch.

Answer 58

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 59

Meanwhile Augustine, the man of God, went to Arles* and, in accordance with the command of the holy father Gregory, was consecrated archbishop of the English race by Etherius, the archbishop of that city

Answer 59

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Question 60

e Æthelfrith,* a very brave king and most eager for glory, was ruling over the kingdom of Northumbria. He ravaged the Britons more extensively than any other English ruler. He might indeed be compared with Saul who was once king of Israel, but with this exception, that Æthelfrith was ignorant of the divine religion.

Answer 60

Bede, Ecclesiastical History of the English People